This invention relates to a back strengthening device and more particularly to a device which permits a person to hang from a hortizontal bar while his feet are in very close proximity to or in contact with a foot platform.
Painful injuries to or malformations of the back are common human problems. Since these conditions are normally quite painful, the exercises necessary to strengthen the back muscles and thereby to assist in improving the malcondition are difficult, particularly those exercises which result in bending or twisting of the spine. Therefore, many patients cannot perform these exercises and, at best, are limited to exercises that are performed while the spine is straight. One such exercise is to hang from a horizontal bar so that the gravity force causes stretching of the back muscles which result in strengthening them particularly when such hanging exercises are performed routinely. While this exercise is desirable and is less painful than those involving bending or twisting of the spine, injuries sometimes result when the patient releases his hands from the bar and drops to the floor. This act requires a reasonable amount of strength and mobility and requires the patient to land on both feet simultaneously in order to avoid tipping of the pelvis which could inflict an injury to a weak back.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a means for exercising the back which requires little or no bending or twisting to the spine. Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide such a means which does not require jumping or dropping to a flat surface or any other movement which could lead to bending or twisting of the spine which may result in injury.